


Chasing Butterflies

by TrueBlueSonic



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Fluff, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, I'm not very adept at writing panic attacks or angst so this was good practice, Injury, M/M, Sonic is A Fool and Silver is freaking out really badly, regardless I hope you enjoy!, summary sucks sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueBlueSonic/pseuds/TrueBlueSonic
Summary: What was supposed to be a fun day outside between Sonic and Silver unexpectedly goes south when Sonic gets injured while showing off. Hurt/comfort and fluffiness abound!
Relationships: Silver the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Kudos: 5





	Chasing Butterflies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [XxSilver_LeaxX](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxSilver_LeaxX/gifts).



“Look at that one!” Silver whispered in awe as he stared intently at the brightly-coloured form that fluttered by just in front of his eyes. This was it, the accumulation of all his waiting and intense training; a better opportunity would not present itself in quite some time. Straining his muscles he prepared himself before leaping off the ground where he had crouched, whooping in joy as he gracefully soared through the air with arms stretched in front of him. His enthusiastic hollering quickly turned more frantic as the ground came closer, however, and with a pained yelp he crashed a bit wayward against the earth face-first. As he turned to his back with a groan he took in the offended butterfly that quickly flapped out of his reach entirely, and the bright grin of Sonic from where he rested on the ground also.

“You almost got it this time!” his boyfriend teased as he got up and sauntered closer, smug smile ever-present as his twinkling eyes glid over the hedgehog’s overpowered form. With a sigh Silver took the hand that got extended to him, quickly checking his own and his body for any scrapes and flicking an ear in relief as he found none.

“Yeah, sure,” he retorted as Sonic helped brush some muddy stains off of his pants. The grassy plain they were in had hundreds of the little insects in all colours and shapes and sizes, and Silver had had a field day so far chasing after them and trying to practice his pouncing. Unfortunately his lack of exercise and general coordination had caught up with him quickly, and so far the butterflies had found themselves the unwitting victor in each of his challenges. With a huff he took in the merry flutters of the creatures that were so adept at staying out of his reach. “I can’t believe I blew it. This was the perfect opportunity!”

“You know butterflies! They are frightfully smart and have dexterity like no other! A small ‘hog like you simply doesn’t stand a chance,” his blue-furred boyfriend snickered as he rubbed his nose, clearly feeling superior in the knowledge that with his incomparable speed he could easily catch a butterfly if he so desired.

“You better not be implying that I’m dumb, Sonic!” Silver shot back instantly, bristling his quills in mock anger. He knew very well Sonic would never say such a thing on purpose unless he was truly angered, but goading him along into feeling guilty always was fun.

“Of course not,” Sonic murmured more softly, and Silver smiled in victory as the hedgehog pulled him closer and pressed a kiss against his ear. “You know I love you too much for that.”

“If you loved me, you’d help me finally catch a butterfly!” Silver whined as he detangled himself from Sonic’s grip, attempting to sneak up on one of the offending insects that fluttered by just out of his reach and groaning as his jump utterly failed to come even close to it. With newfound determination he began to chase after it, switching target multiple times to the closest insect and still not managing to catch even a single one. What was supposed to be a meeting inside their secret spot had quickly turned into an outside adventure wherein Silver chased after butterflies to his heart’s content, if he ignored the fact that the little critters were a bit too adept at staying out of his reach. Waving his arms around wildly he skidded around the field, feet sliding away in the soggy undergrowth, which certainly didn’t aid his attempts. It had been raining for the past few days and the two boys had jumped at the opportunity to go outside now that the weather had been predicted to improve, but while the sun had made most of the dew on the grass evaporate he had to be careful to not slip in one of the many muddy puddles that hid underneath the carpet of green.

“The key is speed and dexterity,” Sonic snickered from where he walked just behind him, arms lazily draped behind his head.

“So you’ve said, but I’m plenty speedy-“ he huffed in anger as Sonic rolled his eyes, punching his shoulder- “shut up, you know I am, and I have great dexterity too. These butterflies just are- they’re just too evil!” He dropped his ears and turned his gaze more pleading as he looked at Sonic. “I simply stand no chance here…”

Sonic laughed in full at his pitiful exclamation, reaching over to flick his drooping ear. “You’re not seriously asking _me_ to catch you a butterfly, are you? The sense of achievement comes from catching it yourself!”

He raised a good point, Silver knew also. But his hammering heart, wheezing breath and aching legs had other ideas; with a dramatic groan he collapsed against Sonic, who huffed in surprise at the extra unexpected weight against his shoulders. “Please! Can’t you see I just can’t take it anymore?!” the psychic moaned, pulling the saddest face he could while grinning in victory as Sonic burst into giggles. “Only one butterfly, it’s all I ask!”

“Hmm… How about I give you some lessons in speediness and dexterity instead?” Sonic offered, and Silver’s sad expression instantly became a lot more repulsed. “It’ll be fun!”

“Um… That’s a kind offer, but I think not.” His friends often encouraged him to exercise more, but if his body felt terrible and aching now it would be a thousand-fold worse if the Blue Blur got his way. “I guess I’ll just find a slower butterfly and chase after that one,” he presented with a worried smirk, the conversation slipping out of his grasp and turning south in no time.

“Nonsense! To catch a butterfly you need to think like a butterfly!” Sonic grinned widely, grabbing his hand as Silver yelped and mercilessly got tugged along for a ride he really didn’t want to be on.

“There’s no way I’m gonna do that,” he huffed in return. Sonic’s ideas often were silly, but he wasn’t going to make a fool of himself and probably slip and get a concussion while doing so.

“Come on, Silv! Why don’t you put those powers of yours to work and get them to fly you around! That’ll make your real speedy!”

“Even if I could do that I wouldn’t! That’s much too dangerous!” the psychic bristled. He could already see himself tumble through the air and painfully crash against a rock or a tree, the already fickle control over his power lost entirely.

“Your loss,” Sonic merely retorted in return as he planted Silver at the edge of the field and gracefully spun around on one feet. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do! I’ll pretend to be a butterfly, and you need to catch me!”

“…Let’s not,” Silver tried to object, but before the words had passed his lips Sonic had already blasted off. With a deep sigh he rubbed his head, watching the blue streak that mockingly zigzagged in the distance with envy. Why couldn’t his powers work as well as Sonic’s? Catching a butterfly would be remarkably easier if he could just shroud them with his powers, not to mention safer for the tiny insect since it wouldn’t get hurt by the touch if he was careful. Unfortunately for him the best he could do was lift up cookies and small pebbles, and so far he hadn’t even dared to move on to moving targets yet. One day he’d be powerful enough to stop Sonic right in his tracks whenever the speedster was showing off, he swore to himself, before turning his attention to the other once more. With another deep sigh he initiated the chase, grimacing as his feet sunk away in the mushy undergrowth and severely hindered his already-slow advance.

“Sonic, be careful!” he called out worriedly at the laughing blue streak that zipped by, darting towards and away from him yet always staying just out of reach. Sonic was getting reckless, making cartwheels and pirouettes through the air with absolutely no regard as to where he was actually running. While in the sunny field most of the dew and mud on the ground had evaporated already the Blue Blur led them closer and closer to the shadows of the nearby forest, where Silver knew the ground would be a lot more muddy and slippery. “Sonic, please! I changed my mind!”

“I promised to teach you to catch you a butterfly, so that’s exactly what I’ll do!” the response came, though it did nothing to calm Silver’s rapidly-increasing heartrate. Something was about to go wrong, he could feel it in how the air seemed to grow heavier around him the further Sonic dashed away. He had no hopes of keeping up, try as he might; the distance between him and his boyfriend only got wider as Sonic moved deeper into the forest. This wasn’t about butterflies anymore, this was just Sonic trying to frighten him with his antics, like he often did.

“Sonic!” Silver pleaded once again. The Blue Blur was zipping between the trees, jeering at him to try and catch him. Both of them knew it was hopeless; the hedgehog was simply too fast to be caught by anyone, especially his much slower boyfriend.

“Stop being such a crybaby, Silver! Nothing’s going to-“ Sonic began to tease him before his words got cut off with a yell, feet slipping as they skidded over the mud and he lost control of his movements. His attempt to break his fall with his arms were for naught; Silver screamed as Sonic spun through the air like a ragdoll, crashing against the tree with a sickening thud and collapsing to the ground with an agonising cry.

The psychic froze on the spot, mind blank as the seconds ticked by before he got a semblance of control back over his legs. “Sonic!” he screamed out as he rushed towards where the fallen form laid, tripping and stumbling in the mud and over roots jutting out of the ground. Getting to the other took long, much too long, and Silver whimpered in fear once he finally collapsed next to the tree. Reaching out he very lightly shook Sonic’s shoulder, bile rising up in his throat when it elicited no reaction.

Sonic wasn’t moving.

With trembling hands Silver tried to yank his cell phone out of his pocket, nearly crying and screaming in frustration simultaneously as it got snagged in the tight space. After a few agonising seconds he finally managed to pull it loose, blindly going for his contacts with tears blurring his vision as the speedster very quietly groaned next to him. That meant he was alive, but he was _bleeding_ … As the phone rang and rang his sobs only intensified, body shivering so badly the phone nearly slipped out of his hand.

“Hi, Sil-“ was all Shadow could say before Silver cut him off with a wail.

“Sonic! I- He- He’s going to _die,_ please, Shadow…!”

“Silver, what-“

“He’s going to die, he’s going to die, he’s bleeding, _please_ , I don’t know-!”

“Dad!” Silver heard Shadow holler on the other end as he kept wailing and begging, entire body wracked by trembles. Sonic groaned again from where he laid, eyes opening into slits as he stared at nothing under Silver’s terrified gaze.

“Silver?” He recognised the voice of one of Shadow’s fathers, Tommy. “Silver, please take a deep breath. Where are you and Sonic right now? What happened?”

“Our secret spot- Sonic tripped and fell, it’s my fault, he’s hurt, he’s not saying _anything_ , I-“

“Sonic got injured. At your secret spot?” Tommy interrupted his desperate rambles.

“I know where that is,” Silver heard Shadow curtly assure his father, a bit vaguer in the distance.

“Okay. Silver, Nico will be calling the ambulance with Shadow, and I’ll stay on the phone with you for now. Take a deep breath.”

“But _Sonic_ -!“

“Silver. Take a deep breath, you can’t help Sonic like this.”

Very shakily the grey hedgehog gasped for air, nearly choking on the breaths as he gulped them down and wheezed. “That’s it,” Tommy encouraged him gently as his trembles diminished the tiniest bit. Wiping at his eyes he took Sonic in a bit more clearly. The other was panting also, appearing beyond stunned, and his arm was laying at an angle that couldn’t be natural, but he was _alive_. “Sonic’s not dead,” he sobbed into the telephone once the realisation hit, relief blurring his words together.

“I’d have been surprised if he did die from falling over something, he’s simply too hardy,” Tommy joked, and Silver felt himself calm down a bit more at the gentle tone. “The ambulance is on its way, so you’re both going to be fine soon. Can you tell me what happened, exactly?”

“Um-“ The memories of the event struck him like lightning, and Silver retched as he saw Sonic’s fall in his mind over and over. “S-Sonic and I went into the fields to catch butterflies,” he shakily explained, “and he wanted to show off, but then he went into the forest and tripped and crashed into a tree, and now-“ A new flood of tears rose as he recounted the events, and his explanation stumbled to a halt as another wail resounded through the forest. 

“With his head? You said he’s not responding?” Tommy asked calmly, Silver humming shakily in confirmation between his sobbing. “Then he might have a concussion. Don’t fret, those aren’t lethal if they’re treated properly. If he’s not in a dangerous position I’d advise to not move him, to not aggravate his injuries.”

“O-okay,” Silver stuttered, amazed at how calmly Tommy was handling the situation and how much it helped calm him also. “And his arm is laying all weird, too,” he noted as his eyes trailed over Sonic a bit more.

“Might be dislocated, maybe broken. Don’t touch it,” Shadow’s father warned.

“I won’t,” Silver promised with a whisper, wiping his tears away a bit more.

He settled into a conversation with Tommy, telling him exactly where he and Sonic had been and moving on to lighter topics once he had told them everything helpful. Keeping his eyes trained on the speedster in the meantime he waited for the tiniest bit of reassurance that the other was awake other than bleakly staring ahead. “Silver,” Sonic mumbled after a few minutes from where he laid, the grey hedgehog nearly jumping out of his skin at the exclamation.

“D-Don’t move!” he squeaked out, reaching out for Sonic and stopping halfway in the movement, deciding it wiser to not touch him at all like Tommy had advised. “Shadow called the ambulance! You’re going to be fine!” 

“I’m dizzy,” Sonic slurred. “I can’t see…”

“The ambulance is almost near you,” Tommy promised. “Just keep talking to him in the meantime.”

Not daring to touch Sonic out of fear he’d aggravate the other’s injures somehow Silver scooted a little bit closer, attempting to comfort Sonic through his words instead. He wasn’t sure how much the other actually heard, the speedster still bleakly staring in front of him with empty eyes and occasionally muttering something, but he had to try. Desperately he gazed out along the trees, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited. The ambulance couldn’t come soon enough.

\-----

With a grimace Sonic stared at the ceiling of the room he was in, head pounding as stars danced across his vision. Laying here hurt, but moving hurt even more, and as such he was forced to go for the lesser of two evils and stay as still as possible despite how his legs were itching to get up and rush around like a maniac. Silver had been sitting next to him, as had his parents when he slowly came by again, but as he became more lucid they all had to leave for a multitude of reasons after promising they’d be back soon. There was nothing left but a splitting headache and boredom for him now, plus anger aimed at himself for his stupidity. If he had just _listened_ to Silver none of this would have happened, and he wasted no time in chewing himself out for it inwardly once left alone. He wasn’t bothered as much by his injuries as he was about the utter terror with which Silver had been watching him as he woke up, eyes red and puffy and cheeks stained with tears. His boyfriend must have been so scared after his accident… and it was all his fault.

Having lost track of time entirely Sonic twitched an ear as the door quietly opened and interrupted his loathing thoughts, soft footsteps padding over towards his bedside. “I’m back. How do you feel?” Silver whispered as he leaned over him, hand hovering over his head like he wanted to stroke it before hastily pulling it back again. While usually Sonic liked the affection between him and his boyfriend he was glad Silver forewent the touches right now; his skull felt like it was about to explode, every movement only aggravating the pain more. 

Wracking his mind for a joke or literally anything he could use to assure the other turned out to be too strenuous, so he decided to settle on a “Like I crashed into a tree and split open my head.” At least it was an honest answer, though he did wish he had better news to share with the psychic. “What’s my prognosis? How long do I have to be here?” he wasted no time in questioning the other.

“Your parents are discussing some things with the doctors,” Silver sniffled, ears and quills drooping. “You have a concussion and a broken arm, but they took care of the latter already. The former will need time to heal by itself, they said.” Not daring to touch his head Sonic stared at the offending limb in question, sighing deeply as he took in the white bandages that covered the plaster wrapped around the appendage. It wasn’t his dominant hand, luckily, but he could already feel the injuries itch underneath the cast. Desperate to get his mind to any other topic reached out for Silver with his still-functional hand, clasping his boyfriend’s carefully in a bid to distract himself and trying not to grimace at the jolt of pain it sent through his head. Silver whimpered once more as his fingers ghosted hesitantly over Sonic’s palm. Clearly he was more in shock by the entire situation than Sonic was.

“Well, it could have been much worse,” the Blue Blur tried to cheer the other up, and perhaps himself a bit too. “I could have cracked my skull right in half for real, or something!” The tears brimming around Silver’s eyes indicated that he probably wasn’t as successful in his attempt as he would have hoped, and he held the other’s hand a bit more firmly. “Hey, hey! If it hadn’t been for you I’d still be laying on the ground there!”

“If it hadn’t been for me you wouldn’t have gotten injured in the first place,” his boyfriend wept quietly in return, unwittingly digging his nails into the speedster’s hand as he collapsed on one of the chairs that stood next to the bed still. “All because I wanted to catch a stupid butterfly!”

Tongue-tied, a state of being he rarely found himself in, Sonic wondered how to respond. What had happened wasn’t Silver fault, not at all; it had been entirely on him and his idiotic demeanour, wanting to show off to the other and motivate him to take up an action himself with no regard for his worries and hesitance. It was clear the psychic didn’t believe him when he tried to assure him of that, though, and all Sonic could do was hold his hand as Silver sobbed. “What did mom and dad say?” he asked once the other had calmed down a little, still occasionally sniffling and hiccupping.

“Um… after you were brought in here and I’d called them I called my parents too, because I was kind of panicked still, and they came here as quickly as they could,” Silver mumbled, suddenly appearing somewhat nervous and bashful. “I… shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?” Sonic inquired as he quirked an eyebrow. He got the feeling he already had an idea about what could have transpired between the upset, soft-spoken Silver and two sets of anxious, worried grown-ups.

“Well, you know parents. They kind of form this front of anger against their children if you put them together and they find out their kids did something wrong. As it stands we’re both grounded,” Silver explained, nervously playing with the golden cuffs around his wrist.

Now that was just unfair, Sonic grumbled inwardly. Had he nearly died, he got punished instead of receiving some support! And Silver hadn’t even done anything to warrant being chastised in the first place… The fact that they only reacted that way because they had been frightened out of their minds with the new wasn’t that important, he decided. “Wouldn’t be the first time, heh,” he chuckled at the bashful behaviour of the other, Silver nervous disposition simply too cute for him to be angry about the situation. “For how long? Like a month?”

“Um… I think it’s more for the rest of our lives,” the psychic mumbled, drawing a circle on the ground with the tip of his shoe.

“Ai,” was all Sonic could respond nonchalantly. Carefully he lifted up his good arm to stroke over Silver’s quills, before using it to lift up his chin. “Then I’ll come sneak out every day to visit you,” he promised with a small laugh and a wink in a bid to cheer the other up, hiding the grimace of pain that the action caused.

“You can’t! We’re already in enough trouble as it is,” Silver scolded him, though it was clear he was laughing also. Gently sliding down his hand and giving Silver’s another squeeze Sonic settled in silence with the psychic right at his side, both lost in thought. “Hey, Sonic? I’m glad you’re gonna be alright,” his boyfriend eventually shyly mumbled, blushing furiously.

Silver’s adorable face dissipated any anger he might have felt at their situation. “I’m glad too, though I’ve got a killer headache right now,” he admitted, deciding it was best to be honest with his boyfriend about how he felt.

“I can see if I can get you some painkillers?” the other offered, already worriedly getting up out of his chair. “I believe you were already given a few, but maybe they can up the dose, or give another type, or-“

“Actually…” Sonic smirked as he interrupted Silver’s adorable rambles, “how about you come up here and give me some cuddles instead? I’m sure that’s gonna make me feel much better than any painkiller could!”

His smirk only intensified at the adorable surprised face the psychic pulled. “I-I mean,” Silver stuttered, blush only intensifying, “if you want me to…?” It was clear he had caught the other by surprise with his request, and Sonic decided he instantly felt much better indeed.

Lifting up his uninjured arm he allowed Silver to carefully climb up on the bed and crawl under the covers, cautiously scooting against him until they were laying side-by-side. Sonic hummed happily as Silver pressed his brow against his shoulder, mindful to not hurt his head even more. “Are you comfy?” the other sleepily asked from where he nuzzled against him.

“As comfy as I can be. I feel much better already,” Sonic assured him, a warm smile unfolding on his lips as Silver beamed and very softly began to purr. Running his palm over the psychic’s side Sonic closed his eyes, stifling a yawn. An impromptu nap wouldn’t hurt either of them, certainly not after what had happened today… They’d be able to convince their parents of their innocence after everyone had calmed down a little, he knew for sure. With his body growing more heavy and Silver’s purrs only intensifying he could feel his worries leave his mind, both of them drifting off to into a deep and painless sleep, holding each other safely in their grasp and not letting go for a long, long time indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Back again with another request fic! Poor Silver and Sonic are really put through the wringer here, but luckily they're both fine! At least this fic didn't take me a literal month to write... I think. I lost track of how many I've written so far and how long it has taken me, I must admit😂😂 Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!


End file.
